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Journal of Autism and Developmental... May 2023Pre- and post-term children show increased autism risk. Little is known about gestational age (GA) prevalence among autistic children, and their respective autism...
Pre- and post-term children show increased autism risk. Little is known about gestational age (GA) prevalence among autistic children, and their respective autism phenotype. We compared prevalence of pre-, full- and post-term birth between a population-derived sample of N = 606 (137 females, 22.61%) autistic children and adolescents (mean age = 14.01, SD = 3.63, range 3-24) from the Netherlands Autism Register, and matched controls from the Dutch birth register. Autism phenotype and comorbid symptoms were assessed with the AQ-short and SDQ questionnaires. Using logistic regression, we found higher prevalence of pre- and post-term birth among autistic individuals but no phenotypical differences across GA groups. Autism risk was particularly elevated for post-term children, highlighting the need for closer investigation of autism on the whole GA range.
Topics: Female; Humans; Child; Autistic Disorder; Gestational Age; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Prevalence; Phenotype
PubMed: 35129797
DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05466-6 -
Lakartidningen Sep 2014Autism spectrum disorder describes a behaviourally defined impairment in social interaction and communication, along with the presence of restricted interests and... (Review)
Review
Autism spectrum disorder describes a behaviourally defined impairment in social interaction and communication, along with the presence of restricted interests and repetitive behaviours. Although the etiology is mostly unknown, it is evident that biological factors affect the brain and result in the autistic clinical presentation. Assessment for diagnosing autism spectrum disorder should be comprehensive in order to cover all sorts of problems related to the disorder. Knowledge and experience from working with neurological and psychiatric disorders are a prerequisite for quality in the examination. Up to now, there is no cure for autism spectrum disorder, but support and adaptations in education are nevertheless important for obtaining sufficient life quality for the patients and the family.
Topics: Asperger Syndrome; Autistic Disorder; Child Development Disorders, Pervasive; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; Humans
PubMed: 25253606
DOI: No ID Found -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2023This article presents a systematic review on autism care, diagnosis, and intervention based on mobile apps running on smartphones and tablets. Here, the term... (Review)
Review
This article presents a systematic review on autism care, diagnosis, and intervention based on mobile apps running on smartphones and tablets. Here, the term "intervention" means a carefully planned set of activities with the objective of improving autism symptoms. We guide our review on related studies using five research questions. First, who benefits the most from these mobile apps? Second, what are the primary purposes of these mobile apps? Third, what mechanisms have been incorporated in these mobiles apps to improve usability? Fourth, what guidelines have been used in the design and implementation of these mobile apps? Fifth, what theories and frameworks have been used as the foundation for these mobile apps to ensure the intervention effectiveness? As can be seen from these research questions, we focus on the usability and software development of the mobile apps. Informed by the findings of these research questions, we propose a taxonomy for the mobile apps and their users. The mobile apps can be categorized into autism support apps, educational apps, teacher training apps, parental support apps, and data collection apps. The individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are the primary users of the first two categories of apps. Teachers of children with ASD are the primary users of the teacher training apps. Parents are the primary users of the parental support apps, while individuals with ASD are usually the primary users of the data collection apps and clinicians and autism researchers are the beneficiaries. Gamification, virtual reality, and autism-specific mechanisms have been used to improve the usability of the apps. User-centered design is the most popular approach for mobile app development. Augmentative and alternative communication, video modeling, and various behavior change practices have been used as the theoretical foundation for intervention efficacy.
Topics: Child; Humans; Mobile Applications; Autistic Disorder; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Software Design; Smartphone
PubMed: 37514555
DOI: 10.3390/s23146260 -
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal... Feb 2003Autism is a complex disorder that is heterogeneous both in its phenotypic expression and its etiology. The search for genes associated with autism and the... (Review)
Review
Autism is a complex disorder that is heterogeneous both in its phenotypic expression and its etiology. The search for genes associated with autism and the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie its behavioural symptoms has been hampered by this heterogeneity. Recent studies indicate that within autism, there may be distinct subgroups that can be defined based on differences in neurocognitive profiles. This paper presents evidence for two kinds of subtypes in autism that are defined on the basis of language profiles and on the basis of cognitive profiles. The implications for genetic and neurobiological studies of these subgroups are discussed, with special reference to evidence relating these cognitive phenotypes to volumetric studies of brain size and organization in autism.
Topics: Autistic Disorder; Brain; Cognition Disorders; Head; Humans; Phenotype
PubMed: 12639328
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2002.1198 -
Molecular Autism Feb 2022Autistic adults, particularly women, are more likely to experience chronic ill health than the general population. Central sensitivity syndromes (CSS) are a group of... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
BACKGROUND
Autistic adults, particularly women, are more likely to experience chronic ill health than the general population. Central sensitivity syndromes (CSS) are a group of related conditions that are thought to include an underlying sensitisation of the central nervous system; heightened sensory sensitivity is a common feature. Anecdotal evidence suggests autistic adults may be more prone to developing a CSS. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of CSS diagnoses and symptoms in autistic adults, and to explore whether CSS symptoms were related to autistic traits, mental health, sensory sensitivity, or gender.
METHODS
The full sample of participants included 973 autistic adults (410 men, 563 women, mean age = 44.6) registered at the Netherlands Autism Register, who completed questionnaires assessing autistic traits, sensory sensitivity, CSS, physical and mental health symptoms. The reliability and validity of the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) in an autistic sample was established using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Chi analyses, independent t-tests, hierarchical regression and path analysis were used to analyse relationships between CSS symptoms, autistic traits, measures of mental health and wellbeing, sensory sensitivity, age and gender.
RESULTS
21% of participants reported one or more CSS diagnosis, and 60% scored at or above the clinical cut-off for a CSS. Autistic women were more likely to report a CSS diagnosis and experienced more CSS symptoms than men. Sensory sensitivity, anxiety, age and gender were significant predictors of CSS symptoms, with sensory sensitivity and anxiety fully mediating the relationship between autistic traits and CSS symptoms.
LIMITATIONS
Although this study included a large sample of autistic adults, we did not have a control group or a CSS only group. We also could not include a non-binary group due to lack of statistical power.
CONCLUSIONS
CSS diagnoses and symptoms appear to be very common in the autistic population. Increased awareness of an association between autism and central sensitisation should inform clinicians and guide diagnostic practice, particularly for women where CSS are common and autism under recognised.
Topics: Adult; Autistic Disorder; Female; Humans; Male; Netherlands; Reproducibility of Results; Surveys and Questionnaires; Syndrome
PubMed: 35164862
DOI: 10.1186/s13229-022-00486-6 -
Revista de Neurologia 2016Research into autism, based mainly on the categorical model in the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, has focused above all on the epidemiology,... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Research into autism, based mainly on the categorical model in the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, has focused above all on the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, cognitive mechanisms and the biological-environmental determining factors. Yet, little attention has been paid to the developmental trajectories, which play a decisive role when it comes to establishing a medium- and long-term prognosis.
AIMS
The purpose of this study is to review the developmental course of children diagnosed with autism who, despite preserving behavioural traits consistent with the initial profile in the medium- and long-term, accomplish a satisfactory social and occupational adaptation, and additionally no longer meet the criteria that gave rise to the initial diagnosis.
DEVELOPMENT
A review was conducted of the bibliography on autism focused on the analysis of the development of the clinical manifestations and their repercussions from the earliest ages to adulthood. Likewise, we have also taken into consideration conceptual aspects about autism that facilitate the comprehension and the meaning of the developmental patterns.
CONCLUSIONS
Around 20% of the children diagnosed with autism cease to meet the criteria on which their diagnosis was based and, furthermore, achieve a satisfactory social and occupational adjustment. The following were identified as favouring factors: normal intelligence, good level of language and low incidence of 'comorbidities'; conversely, in the series that were reported, early and intensive therapeutic interventions were not shown to be determining factors. Lastly, mention is made of the concept of neurodiversity, where recovery is centred on the optimal development of each individual's capacities within a facilitating environment.
Topics: Autistic Disorder; Child; Humans; Remission Induction
PubMed: 26922958
DOI: No ID Found -
Epilepsy & Behavior : E&B Mar 2012Increasingly, there has been an interest in the association between epilepsy and autism. The high frequency of autism in some of the early-onset developmental... (Review)
Review
Increasingly, there has been an interest in the association between epilepsy and autism. The high frequency of autism in some of the early-onset developmental encephalopathic epilepsies is frequently cited as evidence of the relationship between autism and epilepsy. While these specific forms of epilepsy carry a higher-than-expected risk of autism, most, if not all, of the association may be due to intellectual disability (ID). The high prevalence of interictal EEG discharges in children with autism is also cited as further evidence although errors in the diagnosis of epilepsy seem to account for at least part of those findings. The prevalence of ID is substantially elevated in children with either epilepsy or autism. In the absence of ID, there is little evidence of a substantial, if any, increased risk of autism in children with epilepsy. Further, although the reported prevalence of autism has increased over the last several years, much of this increase may be attributable to changes in diagnostic practices, conceptualization of autism in the presence of ID, and laws requiring provision of services for children with autism. In the context of these temporal trends, any further efforts to tease apart the relationships between epilepsy, ID, and autism will have to address head-on the accuracy of diagnosis of all three conditions before we can determine whether there is, indeed, a special relationship between autism and epilepsy.
Topics: Autistic Disorder; Child; Electroencephalography; Epilepsy; Humans; Intellectual Disability; Prevalence
PubMed: 22381386
DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2012.01.015 -
Journal of the American Academy of... Jan 1996This Grand Rounds is concerned with the classification of Asperger's syndrome and its continuity/discontinuity with autism. Information on a 15-year-old with the...
This Grand Rounds is concerned with the classification of Asperger's syndrome and its continuity/discontinuity with autism. Information on a 15-year-old with the condition is presented as are data on other family members. The proband exhibited a longstanding pattern of marked deficits in social interaction, motor awkwardness, and unusual, circumscribed interest consistent with a diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome. Both the proband and his father exhibited unusual discrepancies between verbal and performance (nonverbal) cognitive abilities favoring the former. Deficits were observed in the social use of language. Father and son had similar abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging examination. Potential differences between higher-functioning autism and Asperger's syndrome are important areas for future research.
Topics: Adolescent; Autistic Disorder; Diagnosis, Differential; Frontal Lobe; Humans; Intelligence; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Personality Assessment; Phenotype; Socialization; Syndrome
PubMed: 8567603
DOI: 10.1097/00004583-199601000-00020 -
The Primary Care Companion For CNS... Oct 2021
Topics: Autistic Disorder; COVID-19; Humans; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 34619812
DOI: 10.4088/PCC.21com03035 -
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Jun 2001Various deficits in the cognitive functioning of people with autism have been documented in recent years but these provide only partial explanations for the condition.... (Review)
Review
Various deficits in the cognitive functioning of people with autism have been documented in recent years but these provide only partial explanations for the condition. We focus instead on an imitative disturbance involving difficulties both in copying actions and in inhibiting more stereotyped mimicking, such as echolalia. A candidate for the neural basis of this disturbance may be found in a recently discovered class of neurons in frontal cortex, 'mirror neurons' (MNs). These neurons show activity in relation both to specific actions performed by self and matching actions performed by others, providing a potential bridge between minds. MN systems exist in primates without imitative and 'theory of mind' abilities and we suggest that in order for them to have become utilized to perform social cognitive functions, sophisticated cortical neuronal systems have evolved in which MNs function as key elements. Early developmental failures of MN systems are likely to result in a consequent cascade of developmental impairments characterised by the clinical syndrome of autism.
Topics: Autistic Disorder; Behavior; Humans; Neurons
PubMed: 11445135
DOI: 10.1016/s0149-7634(01)00014-8